7
The ground rumbled ominously beneath my bare feet as I made my way carefully across the semi-cooled magma. The heat was still suffocating even though the lava wasn’t fresh. I stepped on a soft spot and the blackness gave way. I was able to pull my foot back up before I was burned, but the close call frightened me.
What’s happening? Sion asked. Your fear is overwhelming.
I’m fine, I said. This place is grueling. Maybe I made a mistake in coming here.
We never know the risks until we go where we’ve never been. Perhaps we will yet find your father.
If not, I could take my mother back, I said.
You could.
I needed to focus, so I closed the bond and gritted my teeth against the burning sensation that spread across my feet. I did a quick mental countdown and then sprinted the rest of the
